Gate mechanism.



C. J. ELLIS.

GATE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED mvz. 19M.

' 1,2495051. Patented Dec. 4,1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

c. J. E'LLIS.

GATE MECHANISM. APPLICATIQN FILED MAY 2. 1914.

1,249,051.. Patented Dec. 4,1917,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CLAUDE J. ELLIS, or LIBERTY, TENNESSEE.

GATE MECHANISM.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE J. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residingat Liberty, in the county of Dekalb and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gates.

Theinvention aims to provide an effective and desirable form of gate that may be used especially as a farm gate and be operable so as to completely expose the gate-way when desired and be operable from either of its sides from a distance.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved form of fastening means cooperating with a vertically movable gate, and with meanswhereby the fastening means may be. simultaneously. unlocked through the'operation of said means for raising the gate. 1 V l 7 Another objectof the invention is to provide a construction wherein the parts may operate without undue friction and the chains employed be accommodated for ef fective operation.

Further objectsof-the invention are to provide an improved form of fastening for the latch, keeper means for the latch, and means whereby the gate may be assisted in its movement "to open position.

With the foregoing and additional ob- Jects in view, such as, will appear hereinafter from the description following taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention has been embodied in preferable form, in the device illustrated 1n said drawings. 1

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the gate and its cooperating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same parts;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the gate and parts mounting it;

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the latch and Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the joints of the operating chain.

Referring specifically to the drawlngs, A generally designates a gate, the particular construction of which is immaterial except for the performance of the functions hereinafter described. As shown, this gate has a plurality of longitudinal bars 1 joined by Vertical end bars 2 and intermediate verti- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

between two spaced posts latch keeper 9 which willbe hereinafter reone leading to each lever 13 and the levers 15.

cal bars .3 and at, and braced by diagonal bars 5. At the rear, the gate is mounted between twoposts 6 andat its lowerrear end is pivoted to'said posts by means of a bolt 7 extending through the gate and said posts. The gate at its forward end extends 8 bridged by a ferred to. l l

The fastening member employed is in the form of a slidable latch, specificallv illus trated in Fig. 4. This latch has enlarged endslO connected bv. an intermediate reduced bar or shank 11. The shank llv is slidably mounted between the vertical bars 3 and the latch as a whole is slidablv mounted between two of the longitudinal bars 1 and the front. guide bars 2, projecting slightly beyond the same so as to engage beneath the keeper 9. The spring 12 surrounds the shank 11, is fastenedto the latch 1 l and to one of the bars 3, urging the latch toward the keeper. 1

l/Vhile the latch may be operatedin any suitable manner, yet I prefer I to provide means whereby upon operation of a single 7 member, the latch will be shifted and the gate simultaneously swung vertically from its pivot 7. To this end operating levers 13 are provided and pivoted to vertical posts 14 at 15. It is clear that any suitable means may be provided to connect the levers 13 with. the latch. As to the specific form of means shown in the drawings, aclevis 16 is pivoted at 17 to the latch adjacent its rear end. A ring or link 18 is carried by the clevis and to this ringis fastened a short flexible element in the form of a chain 19 movable in the grooved periphery of a roller 20 mounted between the bars 4 and therefrom by means of a pin 21. Beyond the roller, to chain 19, chains 22 are fastened, and passing through the eyes 14: thereof. Chains 22 are located on opposite sides of the gate and are normally held taut by the spring 12 To each of the chains a short chain 23 is fastened, which short chain is also fastened in eye 24: of one of the diagonal braces 5 and are normally slack, as shown in Fig. 1. The levers 13 if desired may have pendant operating handles 25 connected thereto by means of flexible chains or the like 26.

Beneath the gate is preferably provided a sill 27, made for instance of concrete, and

@FETGE.

Patented Dec. 4, 191 {1. Application filed May 2. 1914. Serial No. 835,943. r

from which sill as a foundation, the posts 6 and 8 rise. Posts 6 and 8 are preferably as to facilitate operation toopen position,

a suitably shaped weight 30 maybe pro vided at its top over the pivot 7.

In order to operate the gate, either of the handles 25 is pulled downwardly, wl1ere upon the lever 13 shifts from its pivot 15 pulling chains 22 and 19, and in turn pulling or sliding the latch against the tension of spring 12,thereby disengaging the latch fromthe keeper 9 and causing the chain 23 to become taut. By further pull on the same handle, the chain 23 will become of fective and the gate will move vertically about its pivot 7 until the end bars 2 at the pivot will rest directly on tlie ground and the gate be in a position at right angles to theposition shown in Fig. 1. This movement is assisted by the weight 30. From the foregoing it will be seen that when either of the levers 15 is operated, it causes the respective chain 22 to first move the latch 10to its inoperative position and, at the same time, to make said chain 23 taut, thereby rendering the latter effective for swinging the gate upward when the lever 15 continues its movement. Therefore, the

latch is not subject to any strain except that which is necessary to overcome the tension of the spring 12 and to overcome the friction of said latch against the keeper and the bearing portion of the gate. When. the gate is lowered, its weight is sufficient to cause the latch 10, by engagement of its defiected face, as provided at 31, to engage the Copies of this patent may be obtained for keeper 9 and move past the same until the gate is in closed position whereupon spring 12 which has been retracted by such action, will urge the latch beneath the keeper 9 into the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be realized that the roller 20 provides a means whereby the chains may operate without undue friction and that said chains may effectively operate between the gate and the posts 6 due to the provision of the spacing:

position, ,operating lneans carried by said support, a flexible element connecting said.

latch with said operating means and thereby operable to move said latch to its inopera tive position, said flexible element being normally vheld taut by said spring andby said operating means, and a flexible element connected to the first said flexible element and to said gate frame and being normally slack and adapted to be made taut by operation of the first said flexible element when the latch has been moved to its inoperative position, whereby said operating means first moves said latch to its inoperative position and thereafter effects theupward movement of the gate independent :of greater strain on said latch thanis necessary to move the latter to its inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE J. ELLIS.

Witnesses: a v

N. SMITH, W. S. EVINS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. i 

